Compositions, such as diagnostic reagent compositions, that include glucose oxidase or ferricyanide have poor stability due to the tendency for glucose oxidase and ferricyanide to degrade.
Succinic acid and some salts of succinic acid have been used in the following references as a stabilizing agent (stabilizing, for example, a detergent composition) or a chelating agent:
Boskamp, U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,064, issued Jul. 30, 1984; PA1 Thomas, International Patent Application Publication PA1 Ramachandran et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,475, issued Feb. 13, 1990; PA1 Dormal et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,525, issued Jul. 16, 1985; PA1 Denney, European Pat. Specification EPO 072 581 B1, issued Apr. 8, 1987; JP 63202381, published Aug. 22, 1988; and JP 57138389, published Aug. 26, 1982.
No. WO 86/04610, published Aug. 14, 1986;
None of these references discloses the use of succinic acid or a salt thereof to stabilize an aqueous or dried reagent that includes glucose oxidase and/or ferricyanide.